The Nervous System of Earth

I share this story in my workshops sometimes, how I was once very disenchanted with the way humans behave, thinking that we live like parasites on the face of this beautiful planet... but then I always go on to explain that after I started meditating and understanding more, I came to a realization that Humankind is 'the nervous system' of the Earth, - with each human being like a nerve ending, or like an antennae, but belonging to the same network. As they say, as above, so below... For this exact reason, our ability to feel, to reflect upon our experiences, to process them - is our primary 'job description' as a species', as a part of this planet's eco-system. I even went on to count our 'senses', - as, if feelings are our utmost responsibility, it was suddenly strange to me that we would have only 5 senses! Shouldn't we have more, if that were our job description? So I counted 96!!! I actually published the list in one of my previous newsletters, it's in the 'Newsletters archives' on my site, birthintobeing.com. But at the time of that newsletter, I only found a bit over 60 senses, but was still looking, - so now I have 96.

I think, it's a highway robbery that they teach us in schools that we have only 5 senses!

To sum it up: We are NOT parasites! We are occupying our rightful place in this eco-system, we just need to grow up into our own shoes. So far we've been acting out like toddlers, breaking all the toys... But as everything that survives matures, so will we.

In my understanding, this is exactly what it means that we are, technically, 'ONE', - one unit; same way the nervous system in my body is one unit, that has an astronomical number of different dynamics and parts to it. Our sensory apparatus is the most exquisite, ingenious instrument!

It was simply arrogant of me to think in my ignorant youth that a parasite could be equipped with such neuro-biological, hormonal sophistication.